KNOWLEDGE: Discovering something new so you can be better at whatever you do.MAIN POINT: Discovering what God says helps you know Jesus.BIBLE STORY: Wise Men Discover Jesus | Matthew 2:1-12MEMORY VERSE: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105 (NIV)

God designed people in such a unique way—different from the rest of creation—to pursue finding the answers to life’s hidden secrets. He wants us to pursue knowing more, because He wants us to know Him more.

Jesus helps us know God better. As we dig deeper into the story of Jesus, we discover more about how God desires a relationship with us and invites us to help Him spread the message of Jesus throughout the world. To do that, we need to know God through Jesus. God is real, God made us, and He made all things.

We will spend the month of January taking a closer look at the way knowledge shows up throughout the Gospels.

In Matthew 2, we discover wise men in the Far East. Their lives were dedicated to discovering more about the universe. One night they noticed a bright star that lead them on an epic journey to find the King of Kings prophesied in the ancient Hebrew Scriptures.

Discovering what God says helps us know Jesus. The entire Bible points to Jesus. If we want to get to know Jesus, we can read what the writers of the Bible say about Him. The Bible is the key to knowing more about Jesus.

January Bring It! Challenge

We want kids to Bring It! to church. The Bring It! Challenge encourages Motion kids to bring themselves, their Bible, and scripture they’ve learned to Motion. Not only can kids be rewarded for bringing it, but the Bring It! Challenge is a fun way to grow and learn more about God and how He wants us to live.

During Brain Games, by sharing their new knowledge with their eGroup leader, kids can earn fun prizes each week that will be fun and stretch their brain at the same time by:

showing Psalm 119:105 in their Bible.

reciting Psalm 119:105 from memory.

reciting the series virtue, Knowledge from memory. (Knowledge: Discovering something new so you can be better at whatever you do.)

In Psalm 119:105, we read that God’s word is like a light that guides us. When we dig into God’s word, we start to know how God wants us to live. The Bring It! Challenge helps kids dig into God’s words and see the next steps to take on their journey through life. God’s Word points the way towards a growing relationship with Jesus.

eKidz At Home Activities

Family activities to review the lesson lesson with your kid this week:

At dinner, ASK: What’s your favorite way to learn something new?

At bedtime, read Matthew 2:1-2. Pray together and ask God to help you both know Jesus better.

JOY: Finding a way to be happy even when things don’t go your way.MAIN POINT: I can have joy because God’s story is for everyone.BIBLE STORY: Shepherds and Angels | Luke 2:8-20MEMORY VERSE: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4 (NIV)

Even though we try to find joy through our stuff, or our vacations, or our relationships, joy isn’t dependent upon any of those things. Joy is about being content beyond our circumstances. We can have joy when we recognize that God’s plan is greater than our own. Joy is a response to our trust in God. And Jesus is the reason we can find joy! The story of His birth can remind us through every season, regardless of our situation, there’s a reason to celebrate what it means to have a relationship with God.

We finish up the month in Luke 2:8-20. God wanted to announce to the world that His son Jesus was born and He chose to do that through some shepherds. Now, shepherds were not that important, they weren’t famous, and they weren’t royalty. It was as if God was saying, “You can have joy because the gift of Jesus is for everyone—regardless of who you are.”

We can have joy because God’s story is for everyone. The birth of Jesus was good news for every person of every social class and nationality, regardless of their mess, regardless of their circumstances, regardless of their status. We want everyone to know that Jesus came for them!

eKidz At Home Activities

Family activities to review the lesson lesson with your kid this week:

At dinner, ASK: what can you do to choose joy when you’ve had a bad day?

At bedtime, read Luke 2:8-20. Pray together and ask God to help you have joy in sharing God’s story with others.

Can you find a way to be happy even when things aren’t going your way? Discover joy.

JOY: Finding a way to be happy even when things don’t go your way.MAIN POINT: I can have joy because God sent His Son.BIBLE STORY: Jesus is Born |Luke 2:1-7MEMORY VERSE: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4 (NIV)

Even though we try to find joy through our stuff, or our vacations, or our relationships, joy isn’t dependent upon any of those things. Joy is about being content beyond our circumstances. We can have joy when we recognize that God’s plan is greater than our own. Joy is a response to our trust in God. And Jesus is the reason we can find joy! The story of His birth can remind us through every season, regardless of our situation, there’s a reason to celebrate what it means to have a relationship with God.

In Luke 2:1-7, we read Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth. Jesus was God’s Son, yet God chose to have Him born in a place where they kept the animals. It was dirty and smelly, but that didn’t matter. Mary and Joseph were thrilled because they had a Son, Jesus. And Jesus was the fulfillment of God’s promise to rescue the world.

We can have joy because God sent His Son. Christmas lights and presents are fun and can bring joy during the Christmas season, but none of that compares to the joy we experience when we believe that Jesus is God’s Son.

eKidz At Home Activities

Family activities to review the lesson lesson with your kid this week:

At dinner, ASK: what is something that happened this week that gave you joy?

At bedtime, read Luke 2:1-7. Thank God for the gift of Jesus and ask Him to remind you of the joy of the season no matter what’s going on in your life.

JOY: Finding a way to be happy even when things don’t go your way.MAIN POINT: I can have joy because anything is possible with God.BIBLE STORY: Zechariah and Elizabeth | Luke 1:5-25, 57-79MEMORY VERSE: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4 (NIV)

Even though we try to find joy through our stuff, or our vacations, or our relationships, joy isn’t dependent upon any of those things. Joy is about being content beyond our circumstances. We can have joy when we recognize that God’s plan is greater than our own. Joy is a response to our trust in God. And Jesus is the reason we can find joy! The story of His birth can remind us through every season, regardless of our situation, there’s a reason to celebrate what it means to have a relationship with God.

We continue our look at joy in Luke 1:5-25; 57-79. After God had been silent for about four hundred years, an angel suddenly showed up and made a promise to Zechariah and Elizabeth.The angel told Zechariah that they would have a son, even though they were well past the age of having children. The day John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus, was born to them the Christmas story was set in motion. Zechariah broke into a song and his house celebrated. They realized firsthand that they could have joy because anything is possible with God.

We can have joy because anything is possible with God. Knowing God can do the impossible has the possibility to fuel our joy. God may not always choose to do the impossible right away or at all, but that doesn’t mean He isn’t faithful. God can give us joy as we learn and grow during those impossible seasons of life.

DON’T MISS MOTION’S UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER PARTY NEXT WEEK!

eKidz At Home Activities

Family activities to review the lesson lesson with your kid this week:

At dinner tonight, ASK: how can being joyful make things better? How does your joy affect other people?

At bedtime, read Luke 1:5-25. Pray together & ask God to help you to trust Him in situations that feel impossible.

How can you not feel a little joy when you’re spending time with MC Haggis?

JOY: Finding a way to be happy even when things don’t go your way.MAIN POINT: I can have joy because God keeps His promises.BIBLE STORY: God Promises a Savior | Isaiah 9:6-7, Luke 2:6-11MEMORY VERSE: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4 (NIV)

Even though we try to find joy through our stuff, or our vacations, or our relationships, joy isn’t dependent upon any of those things. Joy is about being content beyond our circumstances. We can have joy when we recognize that God’s plan is greater than our own. Joy is a response to our trust in God. And Jesus is the reason we can find joy! The story of His birth can remind us through every season, regardless of our situation, there’s a reason to celebrate what it means to have a relationship with God.

In Isaiah 9:6-7, the prophet Isaiah wrote:

‘A child will be born to us. A son will be given to us. He will rule over us. And he will be called Wonderful Adviser and Mighty God. He will also be called Father Who Lives Forever and Prince Who Brings Peace.’ (NIrV)

He wrote this hundreds of years before Mary or Joseph or any of the shepherds came on the scene. But this piece of history is significant to the Christmas story because it tells us something incredible about God. It reminds us that God made a promise to send a Savior. A promise He made at a time when things looked dark—during a period when the tribes of Israel were lost and scattered and hopeless. And then finally, hundreds of years later, God kept His promise on that first Christmas.

We can have joy because God keeps His promises. We don’t always see the bigger story God is telling through our lives, but when we remember how God has kept His promise to us in the past, we realize we can trust God with our future.

eKidz At Home Activities

Family activities to review the lesson lesson with your kid this week:

At dinner, ASK: How can you choose to be joyful even when you don’t get something you want?

At bedtime, read Isaiah 9:6-7. Pray together and ask God to help you find joy in the middle of things that aren’t going your way.

The story of Christmas can remind us in any season—no matter your circumstances—there’s always a reason for joy. Watch this telling of the story of Christmas and celebrate that God kept His promise to send a Savior.